1. Field
The present specification relates to a touch panel device capable of detecting that a finger or the like of a user has touched or approached an external conductor by detecting, for example, a change in electrostatic capacitance, and relates to a portable information terminal including the touch panel device.
2. Description of the Related Art
As an example of a touch panel capable of detecting a change in electrostatic capacitance as a result of a finger or the like of a user having touched or approached (hereinafter these actions will be referred to as a touch) an external conductor, an electrostatic capacitance type touch panel sensor disclosed in unexamined patent publication (PTL 1) of Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2011-86122 is known.
The electrostatic capacitance type touch panel sensor disclosed in this patent document includes a transparent base, many transparent electrode units made up of x-direction transparent electrode units that are connected through an x-direction connection unit in an x direction and y-direction transparent electrode units that are positioned between x-direction transparent electrode units, which are arranged in such a manner as to be adjacent to one another in the x and y directions on the upper side surface of the transparent base, and outer periphery wiring that is connected to the x-direction transparent electrode units and the y-direction transparent electrode units that are positioned at the peripheral edge of these many transparent electrode units. Furthermore, adjacent y-direction electrode units are connected in the y direction by the y-direction connection unit that is arranged on the x-direction connection unit with an insulating layer therebetween. Then, the y-direction connection units are formed together with the outer periphery wiring by using the same material as the material of the outer periphery wiring.